Blunt Threats
by Thalia22
Summary: With a new school year comes new secrets, new adventures and a new threat. Friend or foe? It’ll be the trio’s job to find out and fight any new threat that will threaten Hogwarts life. R/R


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Title: Blunt Threats

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Summary: With a new school year comes new secrets, new adventures and a new threat. Friend or foe? It'll be the trio's job to find out and fight any new threat that will threaten Hogwarts life. 

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Genre: Adventure/Drama. Romance? Maybe ^_~

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Rating: PG-13 for future scenes and mostly just to cover my ass. ^_^

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Characters: All of our old favorites but mostly Ron, Harry, and Hermione. A cool new original character that I made as non -"a annoying cliché sexy women with bitchy no-shit attitude manufactured to make Harry, Ron, and/or Draco drool over." as I could. 

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Authors Note: This is my first Hp fics and…they are pretty hard to write so go easy on me. Oh and sorry if I get the Hogwarts layout wrong. I mostly just made it all up or based it off the movies or video games. ^_^

Adeline twirled the small black pen between her index and middle finger. Her almost black eye's rested downward on the blank lined paper, her teeth biting into her lower lip. A stray strand of black hair fell into her face from her messy ponytail but she made no effort to remove it. She sat unnaturally still, staring at the four words she had managed to write. She read them over and over. "Dear Mom and Dad," That was as far as she had gotten. She was stumped. Several times she made a motion to add on, but several times she pulled her hand away as if the paper had suddenly caught fire. Which was more likely to happen then most people knew. This wasn't everyday news she so badly wanted to write. It had been the same thing she had avoided telling her parents for the last six years. It wasn't to hard to do. She only saw them every other month, for maybe a few days at a time. She stayed away with her aunt, Aunt Kara, who was just like her. They were able to come up with the story that Adeline was very gifted and was going to a special school for the gifted in Kara's area. It wasn't really a story since it was completely true, just not in the way her parents thought it to be. They had to be suspicious about why they aren't allowed to tour the school or help her with her homework. It hurt her so bad to keep something like this from them, but she didn't want them thinking her different. Even though she was. Adeline chewed on the edge of her pen. She had to tell them, she had no choice now. She couldn't keep this secret anymore. They needed to know what was going on, and what was soon to happen. Kara was sending her away. Not because she wanted to, but she had no choice. This town was no longer safe for them. The rising evil power was closing in. It had already claimed her school. The local news had blamed a tornado for the demolished building, even though there were no tornado sightings. Kara had already had her enrolled into a school somewhere a ways away and she was set to leave in two weeks. She wanted to schedule one last visit with her parents before she left. She wanted to be able to say real goodbye's. Adeline quickly wiped away a stray tear that was sliding down her check. She took a deep breathe and shook her shoulders loose. She put her pen to paper and wrote franticly, not even reading the words she was writing. 

~~~~~~~~

"Hey, Harry," Ron muttered unhappily as he plopped next to Harry at the half empty Gryffindor table. Harry looked up from his large plate of roasted chicken and mashed potatoes.

"Rough practice, ey?" Harry said noting Ron's appearance and mood. Ron's normally fire red hair was dull and matted down with dirt and sweat and his face was covered with streaks of brown dirt. He was still in his quidditch robe's which were covered in a thick dust that billowed up when he sat, making all those around him choke. He roughly poked a fork into a large chicken thigh, dropping it on his plate then proceeding the pile on mashed potatoes and dinner rolls. 

"Really, I don't know how much longer they are going to make me have these extra practicing sessions. I only got to come in today cuz it was starting to storm. I mean, I did help us win the cup last year! That's big enough of an improvement I'd say." Harry grinned, turning back to his food. 

"We could all use a little extra practice. I know I could," he paused, "Especially after last year," he added quietly. He ignored the uncomfortable look Ron gave him at the mention of their fifth year. So much had happened, most of the time everyone liked to pretend it never happened. They still tipped toed around him which he hated. So he pretended it never happened too. "You're getting a lot better though," Harry said hastily changing the subject, Ron looked rather relived for it. He took a large bite of chicken and potatoes.

"Yea, bud iffs benn preddy ard worf."

"Don't talk with you mouth full Ron, its gross." Hermione said as she sat on the other side of him. She slammed a large pile of books on the table, nearly tipping over many goblets of pumpkin juice. Ron swallowed hard, his eyebrows lifted at the large books. 

"Er, Hermione," he said cautiously, "O.W.Ls were last year, you know." 

"I know that," she said sharply, "But N.E.W.T's are right around the corner you know."

"They are two years away!" Ron yelled, aghast. . 

"You can never be to prepared," she said loading up her plate. Harry and Ron decided its best to let it go. Hermione could get very defensive about her school work. They all dug into their delicious dinner and talked merrily. After what seemed a few hours of good food and wonderful conversation, Ron yawned loudly. 

"T-t-thank goodness I have no homework," Ron said failing to stifle another large yawn. "I was able to finish that charms essay before practice."

"Oh, you did the Astronomy charts already?" Hermione asked, sounding a little impressed.

"Its not due till Thursday, Hermione," Harry said putting his fork down.

"Yeah, its only Monday," Ron added. 

"Procrastination is the number one reason for bad grades." she tisked loudly. Ron rolled his eyes. 

"Anyway," Ron said, getting out of his seat, "I'm worn out. I think I'll head to bed."

"Yeah," Harry pushed his plate away and stood next to his friend, "I'll go too. Unlike you, I have not finish my charms essay." 

"Aw Harry," Ron said twisting his face up disapprovingly. "Don't you know procrastination is the number one cause for bad grades?" 

Ron and Harry chuckled. Hermione narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth in retaliation but it was to late. The two boys were already on there way towards the great hall exit. They walked into the hallway which was crowded with students leaving dinner and on their way to their dormitories for some late night studying. 

"Come on, lets go this way," Ron said, pulling Harry down the opposite hallway from the one leading to the gyrifindor tower. "I have something to show you, I don't want the whole common room crowding over." Harry looked down towards the western wing. It was a brightly lit hall was crowded with Students all laughing and talking loudly and looked inviting and cozy. He really needed to finish the essay but he was curious as to what Ron so secretly wanted to show him. Harry gave in to Ron's constant tugging and made his way down to the eastern side of the school. They turned into a more deserted and dimly lit corridor of the castle. They continued to walk as the crowd of students thinned till there were just a few scared and lost looking 1st years. The lights dimmed lower and lower the farther they went. They should have gone to their dorms. 

"Okay, this is good." Ron said stopping suddenly. He looked around dramatically to make sure no one was watching then slowly slipped his hand inside his robes. He pulled out a small gray and silver slip of paper. It didn't take long to realize what it was since the gray figures on the paper were zooming around. It was a wizards photo. Apparently from a qudditch match since everyone in it was on flying around on brooms and tossing around a large ball. Harry was able to catch the logo on a speeding beaters robes right before he turned to knock away a stray bludger. He immediately recognized the two bold C's and cannon ball as the Chudley Cannons logo, Ron's favorite team. In the lower left hand corner someone had hastily scrawled…

"Hello, Ron! Thanks for being our biggest fan! Hope to see you cheering us on!" then it was signed by every Chudley Canon. 

"Wow, Ron." Harry muttered staring at the zooming players, "Where did you get this?" 

"Its that Fleur girl," Ron said excitedly. "I guess she is good for something. She has some major family connections because her and Bill went to a dinner party. The whole Chudley Cannons was there! Bill was nice enough to get this picture for me. Heard he downright begged. Embarrassed the hell outta Fleur I hear." he added with a wide grin. Harry smiled a bit dully. He was happy for Ron and knew how excited he was , but at the same time he felt apprehensive and didn't understand why Ron felt to drag him out of civilization to show him this. 

"I didn't want it passed around the common room," Ron added hastily as if reading Harry's mind. "Getting all finger smudged and stuff."

Harry looked around the abandoned hallway uneasily as Ron morosely shoved the picture back in his pocket. They needed to get back to the common room. Harry wasn't sure why, but they had to leave now. 

"We better go," Harry said, "that charms essay isn't gonna do itself." 

"Yeah," Ron mumbled, "Plus I think its getting close to curfew."

Harry wished he had a watch. They had been walking for a long time and they were just about as far from the Gryffindor common room as it was possible to get. It had to be close to curfew. Harry could only hope they could sneak back without being spotted. They set off at a quick pace, nearly running down the halls. A few times they had to duck around corners or into doors to avoid Peeves and a few patrolling Slytherin prefects. But other then that the old halls were eerily empty only confirming their concerns that it was after curfew. The dimly lit torches cast strange and dancing shapes on the dark walls. Harry felt an increased sense of foreboding. He had walked these halls many times at night, but he had never felt washed over with fear the way he did. To his relief they soon reached the entrance hall, which normally would have made him feel better. But it was just as gloomy and forbidding as the rest of the castle. Harry stopped dead in his tracks. There was a slight tingling sensation in the middle of his forehead. It moved slowly down the length of his lightning bolt scar as if someone was dripping boiling hot water on his skin. He breathed in sharply and pressing his fingers to his head. His vision started to blur as the pain increased. 

"What, Harry? What is it?" Ron said, his voice high and panicky. Harry couldn't see him, he felt his kness buckling. Ron grabbed his arm before he started to fall and helped to steady him. 

"Hurts," Harry said through gritted teeth. "Something...evil..." 

Just then, there was a deafening creak that filled the air. Harry looked up quickly. He was barely able to make out the distorted picture he saw but from he could tell the massive wood main doors were slowly opening.

"Harry, come on," Ron whispered franticly, pulling on Harry's arm. "We have to hide!" 

Harry felt his limp arm being thrown around a warm shoulder. He tried to walk but his feet were half dragged across the cold stone floor. He closed his eyes as he was being pulled around the corner. He felt himself being lowered onto his knee's. The pain felt as if it was moving down his entire body.

"Harry," Ron whispered, "Harry look.." 

"I can't open my eyes," Harry forced out of his tense mouth.

"Look!"

Harry eased an eye open. His vision was still distorted but he could make out something moving. A big black moving blur. A big black moving...cloaked figure.

"Oh no," Harry gasped. How could they get into the school? That was impossible. Especially since the happenings of last year. Security was so tight, there was no way, there was no way at all. Harry insticly fished in his robes pocket for his wand. He felt the

soft wooden end and quickly pulled it out. He pointed it at the figure. 

"Expecto Patr-"

"Harry stop!" Ron had knocked Harry's wand out of his hand.

"Ron!" Harry gritted, closing his eyes again at the pain "What are you doing? We have to stop it..."

"It's not a dementor! It's a..a..person...I think." 

Harry stared at the blurred black figure. Ron was right. Although his scar continued the sear, the other trademark signs of a dementor were not presented. The torches were not flickering dangerously low , Harry still had his happy thoughts. There was a chill in the air,

but not nearly as ice cold as when dementors were near. He narrowed and strained his eyes forcing them to focus on the unmoving black blur. 

"Voldemort...." Harry muttered. 

"Shhh!" Ron said. A second figure had entered the hall. Even with Harry's vision he could tell it was a distinct opposite of the black figure. Harry saw bursts of blue and beige and brown. 

"I wish you would stop that," the colorful figure said in a high cheery pitched man's voice. "It puts a distinct chill in the air."

Everything suddenly came into focus for Harry. The pain is his forehead disappeared quicker then it came. He lowered his hand to the floor, pushing himself up to a squat next to Ron. Ron jumped at the new presence next to him. He opened his mouth but Harry pressed his finger to his lips to silence him. Harry turned back to the scene playing before him. Even with his newly restored vision he couldn't tell anything about the cloaked

figure. Black material reached all the way to the floor and the hood was completely covering its face. Ron was right, it wasn't a dementor. It was much too short and it stood awkwardly with its arms out at an angle, as if it didn't know what to do. The man next to it was a middle aged man with a young kind face and a head full of curly brown hair. His tall figure was shrouded in elegant robes of beige with a blue cuffs and collar. 

"I think we are a bit late, my dear." the man said, pulling out a pocket watch. "Oh my yes, blame it on the rain I guess. We are inside I do wish you'd take that dreadful thing off. You look like the Grim Reaper."

"Its cold," came a muffled voice from inside the cloak.

"There is a bit of a draft." The man said rubbing his blue gloved hands together. "Who knew it could get so cold so fast. It's only October for goodness sakes. But still, at least take off the hood."

Two small dark skinned hands poked out of the long black cloak sleeves and raised to the large hood. It was lowered slowly to reveal the head of a young woman. She couldn't have been older then Harry or Ron, with long black hair that was messily pulled back. She had a small nose that looked as if someone was softly pushing on the end of it. She surveyed the large hall with wide midnight black eyes her mouth slightly opened. Harry and Ron ducked their heads behind the corner so she didn't spot them.

"Who is that?" Ron whispered.

"No idea," Harry answered. 

"I'm cold." they heard the girl mutter again. The man next to her gave her and endearing look then a reassuring pat on the shoulder. 

"I've only heard good things," he said softly. "Plus, its what your aunt wanted. You know she would never put you in harms way." 

The girl took her eyes off the high ceiling and looked at the man.

"Of course I know that," she said softly. She looked away again and the man smiled almost sadly. 

"Come on," he said finally after a few moments, "lets go."

He took a step towards the western side of the hall. His cherry demeor returned.

"Now, if I remember correctly," he said looking up the main stairs, "Dumbledore's office is on the 3rd floor. Come on, lets hurry. He was expecting us before dinner." 

The young black haired girl and the beige cloaked man trotted quickly up the stairs and quickly out of sight. Ron turned and looked at Harry curiously. 

"I've never seen that girl before."

"Me either," Harry said. He raised his hand, running his fingers down the smooth line of skin. 

"Your scar," Ron whispered as if he was saying a dirty word. "Why did it hurt?" 

Harry stood up from his crouching position and walked into the entrance hall. He looked up the main staircase as if expecting to catch a glance of the man and girl. 

"I have no idea." 

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Ron and Harry raced up the stairs but caught no sign of the visitors. They ran all the way to the Gryffindor tower, no longer caring if they were seen. The halls were unusually empty for this time. They were usually crawling with prefects hoping to take points from opposite houses during the first hour after curfew. They reached the portrait of the fat lady sweating and out of breath. 

"Squawkberries!" Ron nearly hollered at her.

"All right, all right," she said snootily as she swung open, "No need to yell."

The two boys crawled quickly through the large hole in the wall. The warm common room was still full of late night stragglers. They both searched the room and spotted Hermione sitting at a desk in the far corner of the room. She was poured over desk full of large books, her forehead wrinkled in concentration. They waded quickly through the room towards her.

"Hermione! Hermione!" Ron said hastily, "We have something to tell you!"

"Ron, if its about that photo save your breath. The whole school knows about it anyway." she said without looking up. 

Ron stopped in his tracks looking stunned.

"But….how??" he asked. 

"You kept pulling it out and staring at it in Defense against the Dark arts."

"Oh..."

Harry looked from Ron's poignant face to Hermione.

"This has nothing to do with that," Harry said quickly. Ron snapped out of his daze and swiftly straightened up, remembering what they had initially ran in here for. Harry took an vacant seat next Hermione, leaning towards her.

"My scar hurt," he whispered to her. She instantly looked up from her books, her large brown eyes wide and fearful. 

"When?" she whispered back. 

"Just now," Harry said, "In the entrance hall." 

"We saw someone." Ron said as he moved in closer. 

"Voldemort??" Hermione asked breathlessly. Harry shook his head.

"At first I thought it was a dementor but it was some…girl. She was wearing a large black cloak and she had some man with her."

"Who were they?" she asked. Harry leaned back in his chair, looking down to the floor.

"I have no idea." he said.

"Well, could she be like...a spy or something? A death eater?" Hermione said almost eagerly. 

"She didn't look like a death eater to me," Ron spoke up.

"But the pain," Harry muttered still staring at the floor. "It faded while she was still around." 

The three teenagers were silent for a moment out of thought and fear. 

"Well maybe," Hermione spoke up. She spoke slowly as if straining to think about every word she leaving her lips. "Maybe…It was just a coincidence. Maybe you were just experiencing a….Voldemort reaction….at that particular moment."

Relief washed over Ron's face.

"Of course, that must be it!" he said loudly, "I mean, We all know he's out there! Doing evil things and such! That's no surprise. So that settles it!" a triumphant look fell onto his face.

"Yeah," Harry mumbled almost inaudibly, "That settles it."

Although he said he did, Harry didn't believe it for second. And from the look on Hermione's face, he didn't think she really believed it either. 


End file.
